peaman
Sustaining Member
Previous owner neglected leaks at all of the port lights for a long time. I fixed the active leaks two years ago and I am now getting around to addressing the remediation and refinishing of the teak panels. I know that some here have chosen to paint the panels, which is fine, but I really like the appearance of well kept varnished teak.
I have removed each of the port lights, as well as the teak trim pieces at the top and bottom of the panels, and I have sanded much of the panel to remove old varnish and stains caused by water intrusion. I am optimistic that I will be able to achieve a nice appearance in the panels with a few coats of varnish. That is, except for one area.
The most neglected part of the panels is at the aft corner of the port port light, where serious rot was allowed to flourish. I have removed all of the softest wood to reveal part of the fiberglass interior surface of the house. In the image below, some layers of the plywood have maintained integrity. The thickness of the wood panel is 3/8” including the surface veneer.
I expect soon to receive a couple of packages of a few square feet of teak veneer. I had thought I might be able to replace the rotted wood with filled epoxy or Bondo or whatever, and then to cover with teak veneer. But given the extent of the injury, I think maybe I should remove more solid wood and replace with a suitably shaped piece of new panel with integral veneer.
I’ve been dreading this piece of work, as fine finish work has never been part of my skill set, so I hope someone or some several here can help me figure out the best way to reasonably return my teak panels to a presentable condition. New veneer is an option I have considered, but if there is a way to reasonably repair the rotted area while preserving the remaining original teak with its handsome figure, that is what I would prefer.
I have removed each of the port lights, as well as the teak trim pieces at the top and bottom of the panels, and I have sanded much of the panel to remove old varnish and stains caused by water intrusion. I am optimistic that I will be able to achieve a nice appearance in the panels with a few coats of varnish. That is, except for one area.
The most neglected part of the panels is at the aft corner of the port port light, where serious rot was allowed to flourish. I have removed all of the softest wood to reveal part of the fiberglass interior surface of the house. In the image below, some layers of the plywood have maintained integrity. The thickness of the wood panel is 3/8” including the surface veneer.

I expect soon to receive a couple of packages of a few square feet of teak veneer. I had thought I might be able to replace the rotted wood with filled epoxy or Bondo or whatever, and then to cover with teak veneer. But given the extent of the injury, I think maybe I should remove more solid wood and replace with a suitably shaped piece of new panel with integral veneer.
I’ve been dreading this piece of work, as fine finish work has never been part of my skill set, so I hope someone or some several here can help me figure out the best way to reasonably return my teak panels to a presentable condition. New veneer is an option I have considered, but if there is a way to reasonably repair the rotted area while preserving the remaining original teak with its handsome figure, that is what I would prefer.